Tillotson Fund awards $648K in grants to benefit North Country

BY JOHN KOZIOLUnion Leader Correspondent

BERLIN — The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund has awarded 20 grants totaling $648,655 and benefiting the North Country and bordering communities, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation announced Wednesday.

.Named after the late Neil and Louise Tillotson, the fund was established at the NHCF in 2006 with the goal of serving “as a catalyst for the region to move toward sustainable community and economic development in Coos County and surrounding communities in the U.S. and Canada.”..North Country recipients of the Tillotson Fund grants are:

• Androscoggin River Committee of Milan, $12,000 to support public education and outdoor recreation-based marketing and events for New Hampshire’s Androscoggin River watershed...• Coos County Family Health Services of Berlin, $162,261 to improve health outcomes and wellness for 90 Berlin-Gorham families over two years through a coordinated approach to increased physical activity and improved nutrition...• Gorham High School, $2,475 to support students studying mercury levels in dragonfly larvae as part of a Superfund Research Program in partnership with Dartmouth College.

• Great North Woods Committee for the Arts of Colebrook, $12,000 to support performing arts programming in Coos County...• The Holiday Center, Inc. of Berlin, $12,000 to provide transportation services for vulnerable Berlin residents to access community services.

• Lancaster United Methodist Church, $17,500 to purchase and install a walk-in cooler to improve access to healthy, perishable food for the Community Cupboard Food Pantry...• Town of Northumberland, $10,000 to restore the exterior of the 1799 Meeting House.

• Town of Pittsburg, $14,607 to complete the final phase of a capital project by constructing a bandstand on the town common...• The RESPONSE program at Coos County Family Health Services of Berlin, $45,000 to increase access to victim assistance services by expanding a specially trained volunteer base over three years.

• Milan Village School, $15,000 to provide bridge funding to support the development of a self-sustaining, affordable preschool program for the Town of Milan...• Mount Washington Observatory of Conway, $10,000 to replace the roof of the museum, install solar panels and create a renewable energy interactive exhibit.

Concord-based grant recipients with programs in the North Country are:..• New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, $45,000 to enhance preservation services and related technical assistance in Coos County over three years.

• New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, $22,900 to support research for an updated economic impact study of the timber harvesting industry in New Hampshire...• Early Learning New Hampshire, $60,000 to connect and sustain Coos County and statewide early childhood improvement efforts over three years.

• Additionally, Wholesome Wave of Bridgeport, Conn., received $43,206 to support Coos County in building and connecting to a sustainable statewide system improving access to local affordable produce...Richard Ober, president and CEO of the NHCF, said in a prepared statement that the Tillotson Fund has been a boon to the North Country and beyond.

“The impact of this fund on a community, and an entire region, is remarkable,” he said, “just like the legacy of Mr. and Mrs. Tillotson.”..The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund accepts proposals from eligible organizations providing services in Colebrook, Pittsburg, Clarksville, Stewartstown, Dixville Notch and other towns in Coos County. The fund is also interested in applicants that serve these communities as part of a larger regional effort...The next application deadline is July 7. Interested applicants should visit www.nhcf.org/tillotson or contact Jean Clarke at the NHCF at 800-464-6641, ext. 1238.